Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to Office of National Statistics data, Dementia/Alzheimer’s and respiratory disease behind biggest annual increase in deaths since the 1960s, published on 7 April 2016, what assessment he has made of that data on the provision of care for people with long-term care needs.

David Mowat

We are ensuring that the health and care support, that people including those with long term care needs receive, helps to enable them to live healthier and longer lives. For example:

– The 2016/17 mandate to NHS England includes objectives to improve quality of post-diagnosis treatment and support for people with dementia and their carers as well as reducing premature mortality, including reducing early deaths (i.e. deaths under 75) from respiratory illness;

– The NHS Outcomes Framework 2016/17 sets out the Department’s priority areas for the National Health Service and includes reducing early deaths from respiratory disease;

– We have made great strides in the number of people with dementia receiving a diagnosis. Timely diagnosis unlocks the door to appropriate care and treatment; and

– We published the Joint Declaration on Dementia Post-Diagnostic Care and Support; signed by leaders across the health, social care, local government and voluntary sector organisations. It sets out a joint ambition to improve the quality of post-diagnostic care and defines what this should look like.

In February 2015, we also published the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020 (2020 Challenge) which builds on the achievements of the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2012-2015. It sets out that by 2020, we want to see:

– All people with a diagnosis of dementia being given the opportunity for advanced care planning early in the course of their illness, including plans for end of life;

– All people with dementia and their carers receiving co-ordinated, compassionate and person-centred care towards and at the end of life including access to high quality palliative care from health and social care staff trained in dementia and end of life, as well as bereavement support for carers; and

– Greater personalisation in the provision of post-diagnosis services. This means building support around the individual with dementia, their carer and family and providing them with more choice, control and flexibility in the way they receive care and support, regardless of the setting in which they receive it.

In March 2016, we published an Implementation Plan to support the 2020 Challenge. The Implementation Plan sets out the actions partners will take to ensure the commitments in the 2020 Challenge are delivered.